How to pass 2 or more arguments with invoke-command

[dwchan]

I have two variables (a simple string - where $strVMPrepDir = 'PrepareSQL' and an array $SQLParameters = an array I imported in from excel

SQLParameters = Import-Excel -Path $DataSourcePath -WorksheetName 'SQL'

where the array looks like
@{AGTSVCPASSWORD=password; ISSVCPASSWORD=password; ASSVCPASSWORD=password; SQLSVCPASSWORD=password; RSSVCPASSWORD=password; SAP
WD=password}

Or in its native form

$SQLParameters.AGTSVCPASSWORD = password
$SQLParameters.ISSVCPASSWORD=password
etc
etc

I am trying to pass these variable over to the VM with Invoke-Command with the following

$InstallSQL = {
$copyFileLocation = "C:\$args[0]\ConfigurationFile.ini"
$SQLConfigurationINI = "C:\$args[0]\ConfigurationFile2.ini"
$errorOutputFile = "C:\$args[0]\ErrorOutput.txt"
$standardOutputFile = "C:\$args[0]\StandardOutput.txt"
Write-Host "Getting the name of the current user to replace in the copy ini file." -ForegroundColor Green
$user = "$env:UserDomain\$env:USERNAME"

Write-Host "Update credential information to SQL Configuration file" -ForegroundColor Green
#$replaceText = (Get-Content -path $copyFileLocation -Raw) -replace "##MyUser##", $user
#Set-Content $copyFileLocation $replaceText

Get-Content $copyFileLocation | ForEach-Object { $_ `
-replace '<!--REPLACE WITH SQL AGENT PASSWORD-->',"$args[1].AGTSVCPASSWORD" `
-replace '<!--REPLACE WITH INTEGRATION SERVICES PASSWORD-->',"$args[1].ISSVCPASSWORD" `
-replace '<!--REPLACE WITH ANALYSIS SERVICES PASSWORD-->',"$args[1].ASSVCPASSWORD" `
-replace '<!--REPLACE WITH SQL SERVICES PASSWORD-->',"$args[1].SQLSVCPASSWORD" `
-replace '<!--REPLACE WITH SQL SA PASSWORD-->',"$args[1].SAPWD" `
-replace '<!--REPLACE WITH REPORTING SERVICES PASSWORD-->',"$args[1].RSSVCPASSWORD" `
} | Set-Content $SQLConfigurationINI

Push-Location -Path R:\
write-host $SQLConfigurationINI
.\Setup.exe /ConfigurationFile=$SQLConfigurationINI

# Configure inbound firewall rule for SQL Write-Host "Update Windows Firewall for inbound SQL..." -ForegroundColor Green New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "MSSQL ENGINE TCP" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 1433 -Protocol TCP -Action Allow
}

Invoke-Command -ComputerName $strVMName -ScriptBlock $InstallSQL -Credential $DCLocalCredential -ArgumentList $strVMPrepDir,$SQLParameters

Except the output is not what I expect, for example
$copyFileLocation = "C:\$args[0]\ConfigurationFile.ini", I was expecting this 
$copyFileLocation = "C:\PrepareSQL\ConfigurationFile.ini" but I am getting this instead
$copyFileLocation = "C:\PrepareSQL [0]\ConfigurationFile.ini" (with a space after the L)

Also, my output for "$args[1].AGTSVCPASSWORD", I was expecting this
password, but I am getting this as output instead
[1].AGTSVCPASSWORD

I have used the $args with invoke-command before, but only for a single simple string (e.g. -ArgumentList $strVMPrepDir) and never try it as 2 strings, nor an array before.  Is this possible, or just my syntax is off?

[LucD]

Did you already try with

-ArgumentList $strVMPrepDir,(,$SQLParameters)

[dwchan]

Do I keep the syntax for reading it the same ?

[LucD]

When I have multiple arguments to pass, I do it something like this.
Makes it easier to define the args in the codebloc.

$test = {
  param(
    [string]$SingleVallue,
    [string[]]$Array
  )

  $SingleVallue
  $Array[2]
}

$v1 = 'abc'
$v2 = 'x123','y456','z789'
Invoke-Command -ScriptBlock $test -ArgumentList $v1,@($v2)

[dwchan]

1st suggestion did not work with the argumentlist, let me tried the second now

[dwchan]

OK, some good news, I simple my code and did this

$strPrepDir = "PrepareSQL"
$SQLParameters = Import-Excel -Path $DataSourcePath -WorksheetName 'SQL' 

note: this is what the actual worksheet looks like in excel

$InstallSQL = {
param(
[string]$SingleValue,
[string[]]$Array
)
$copyFileLocation = "C:\$SingleValue\ConfigurationFile.ini"
$SQLConfigurationINI = "C:\$SingleValue\ConfigurationFile2.ini"
$errorOutputFile = "C:\$SingleValue\ErrorOutput.txt"
write-host $SQLConfigurationINI
write-host $errorOutputFile
write-host $Array[2]
Invoke-Command -ComputerName $strVMName -ScriptBlock $InstallSQL -Credential $DCLocalCredential -ArgumentList $strVMPrepDir,@($SQLParameters)

Based on the output, the 1st ArgumentList variable pass over without issue as my output was correct

C:\PrepareSQL\ConfigurationFile2.ini
C:\PrepareSQL\ErrorOutput.txt

It replaced the $SingleValue with the actual value of $strVMPrepDir that I passed over to Invoke-Command.  However, I would expect $array[2] to output the 2nd array value of 'password', in my case the output was blank

[dwchan]

Quick update.  I tried with the following and this was my output

$InstallSQL = {
param(
[string]$SingleValue,
[string[]]$Array
)
$copyFileLocation = "C:\$SingleValue\ConfigurationFile.ini"
$SQLConfigurationINI = "C:\$SingleValue\ConfigurationFile2.ini"
$errorOutputFile = "C:\$SingleValue\ErrorOutput.txt"
write-host $SQLConfigurationINI #### output as expect C:\PrepareSQL\ConfigurationFile2.ini
write-host $errorOutputFile #### output as expect C:\PrepareSQL\ErrorOutput.txt
write-host "$Array" ### output as expect ,as it gave me the entire array @{AGTSVCPASSWORD=password; ISSVCPASSWORD=password; ASSVCPASSWORD=password; SQLSVCPASSWORD=password; RSSVCPASSWORD=password; SAPWD=password}
$temp = "$Array"
write-host $temp ### output as expect ,as it gave me the entire array @{AGTSVCPASSWORD=password; ISSVCPASSWORD=password; ASSVCPASSWORD=password; SQLSVCPASSWORD=password; RSSVCPASSWORD=password; SAPWD=password}
write-host $temp.AGTSVCPASSWORD  ### output was blank, not what I expect
write-host $temp(1) ### output was @{AGTSVCPASSWORD=password; ISSVCPASSWORD=password; ASSVCPASSWORD=password; SQLSVCPASSWORD=password; RSSVCPASSWORD=password; SAPWD=password} 1, not what I expect at all

C:\PrepareSQL\ConfigurationFile2.ini
C:\PrepareSQL\ErrorOutput.txt
@{AGTSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; ISSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; ASSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; SQLSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; RSSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; SAP
WD=$SQLP@ssw0rd}
@{AGTSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; ISSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; ASSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; SQLSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; RSSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; SAP
WD=$SQLP@ssw0rd}

@{AGTSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; ISSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; ASSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; SQLSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; RSSVCPASSWORD=$vbe#26r; SAP
WD=$SQLP@ssw0rd} 1

[LucD · Accepted solution]

You are not passing an array of strings but an array of PSObjects.

You have to adapt the Param definition and how to reference the param in your code block

$test = {
  param(
    [string]$SingleVallue,
    [PSObject[]]$Array
  )

  $SingleVallue
  $Array[2].F1
}

$v1 = 'abc'
$v2 = @{F1='a';F2='b'},@{F1='k';F2='l'},@{F1='x';F2='y'}
Invoke-Command -ScriptBlock $test -ArgumentList $v1,@($v2)

[dwchan]

let me ask you this, given my dataset within in the PSObject is

@{AGTSVCPASSWORD=password; ISSVCPASSWORD=password; ASSVCPASSWORD=password; SQLSVCPASSWORD=password; RSSVCPASSWORD=password; SAPWD=password}

Technically, isn't this just an object, and not an array?

[LucD]

If you are passing the result of Import-Excel row by row, then yes, that is a PSObject.